Robin Roberts Criticized For Not Coming Out Sooner & Has The Best Reaction Of All Times

Robin Robertscame out officially in December 2013 via a Facebook post, saying: “At this moment I am at peace and filled with joy and gratitude. I am grateful to God, my doctors and nurses for my restored good health. I am grateful for my entire family, my long time girlfriend, Amber, and friends as we prepare to celebrate a glorious new year together.” While many of us knew that Roberts was a lesbian, it was her public declaration that warmed our hearts the most.

But not everyone was celebrating Roberts’ coming out. Evidently some people think Roberts took a bit too long to come out and in a recent interview with Good Housekeeping, she decided to address those overzealous critics:

“Shortly after I posted about my relationship with Amber on Facebook last year, I showed a picture of us with my niece — who’d gotten married in Baton Rouge, LA — on GMA. It was like a beautiful family picture. I was so moved that people got it and said, “You’re happy.” Others, though, were asking, “Why didn’t you say something about her before? Why are you only recognizing her now? News flash: Some people like their anonymity. This is what’s right for me. Love is love, and I’m grateful to have that. Sometimes there’s a stigma attached to how people view you if you’re living a certain way. But I don’t care — you gotta live your life. You gotta find what happiness is and what it means for you, and you can’t get caught up in what someone is saying about you on Twitter. You don’t go through a year like I did to not be happy and not make your own choices.”

Ever the class act, Roberts didn’t dwell on her haters, she used the rest of the interview to inspire, as she so naturally does: “I’m grateful I had the strength to fight. It takes courage to believe the best is yet to come, especially when you are flat on your back and don’t know if you’re going to see tomorrow. I’m no Pollyanna, but I believe optimism is a choice — a muscle that gets stronger with use. Right foot, left foot…just keep moving.

Why is there always such a pressure come out in Hollywood, especially when it comes to Black celebrities. Robin said it best, “Sometimes there’s a stigma attached to how people view you if you’re living a certain way. But I don’t care — you gotta live your life. You gotta find what happiness is and what it means for you, and you can’t get caught up in what someone is saying about you.” Say that Robin!

What do you think about people judging celebrities timeline of coming out?